Britania Mountain Fire Stops Delivery To 50 Wheatland Homes

The spread of the Britania Mountain Fire has forced the U.S. Postal Service to stop delivery to more than 50 homes in the Wheatland area, according to a news release from the USPS.

All mail destined for these addresses is available for pickup at the Wheatland Post Office, 852 Walnut Ave., until further notice.

"Your mail is safe with us and we hold it until all of us are allowed back into the area," Postmaster Christy Downes said. "I encourage everyone to sign up for Informed Delivery so they can manage their incoming mail."

Postal customers can download Informed Delivery, a free USPS service to digitally preview their mail and manage packages scheduled to arrive. You will receive a daily email that shows images of the exterior address side of letter-sized mail pieces and tracks incoming packages.

Future delivery decisions will be made after consulting with local emergency managers.

The fire six miles west of Wheatland continued to grow Wednesday and reached 24,000 acres, or 37.5 square miles, as of 6 a.m. Thursday. The fire's growth has been spurred by gusty winds, warm temperatures and low relative humidity. It is 33 percent contained.